Two IT professionals lost their lives in a car accident early Sunday morning in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar. The crash involved a Porsche allegedly driven by an underage individual under the influence of alcohol, which collided with their motorcycle. The minor was granted bail a few hours post-incident on the condition that he would assist the Yerwada traffic police for 15 days and compose an essay on road accidents. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his shock and dismay on Tuesday regarding the lenient approach taken by the Juvenile Justice Board concerning the crash. Fadnavis stated that the police have appealed to a higher court to try the juvenile as an adult.
“The decision by the JJ Board was shocking and surprising, as it showed undue leniency towards such a severe crime. The Pune police had requested the board to treat the 17 years and eight months old teenager as an adult. However, the board set the application aside, marking it as ‘seen and filed,’ and released him on bail, sparking public outrage,” said Fadnavis.
Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa, both aged 24, were returning from an impromptu dinner with friends when the speeding Porsche struck them. Ashwini Costa, from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, was riding as a passenger with Anis Awadhiya. Ashwini’s mother, Mamta Costa, disclosed that her daughter had planned a surprise visit to Jabalpur to celebrate her father’s birthday in June.
“Just a day before the accident, Ashwini told me she would be returning home to Jabalpur and had booked her ticket for June 18 to surprise her father on his birthday. Tragically, this never happened,” she said.
Anis Awadhiya, originally from Pali town in Madhya Pradesh, had been residing in Pune for about a year and a half. He graduated from DY Patil College of Engineering in Pune. Anis’s maternal uncle, Dnyanendra Soni, mentioned that the grieving family consists of his mother, father, and a 21-year-old younger brother studying at DY Patil College in the city. Soni added that Anis’s father operates a small printing press, and his mother is a homemaker.
News source: Hindustan Times